Work sheets, such as for instance greeting cards, having both embossing and hot stamping or hot foiling thereon, are well-known in the prior art. However, the embossing and hot stamping operations are generally carried out sequentially, to produce the embossed and foiled card. Such sequential type operations generally require extremely accurate registration of the work sheets with respect to the embossing die and subsequent hot stamping die, or vice versa, so that the foil transferred to the work sheet is properly positioned or aligned with respect to the embossed portions of the sheet. Accurate registration is generally somewhat difficult to obtain and substantial scrap may occur when the embossments on the work sheet are not in exact registration with the design on the hot stamping die during the hot foiling, or vice versa.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,669,014 dated June 13, 1972 in the name of Eugene S. Spaw, et al and entitled Means Including Two die Sets For Embossing And Applying Foil To A Sheet, teaches apparatus and method for sequential foil applying and embossing.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,584,572 dated June 15, 1971 in the name of Anthony Apicella and entitled Method Apparatus And Die Adapted To Simultaneously Heat Stamp, Emboss And Cut, discloses simultaneous hot stamping and embossing of a workpiece or sheet of stock material. However, such method and apparatus causes embossing and hot foiling at the same areas or locations on the work sheet. In applicant's arrangement, the hot stamping or foiling is accomplished primarily in areas adjacent to those areas on the work sheet where embossment occurs, so that the embossed areas are generally encompassed or delineated by foil areas, and in a manner whereby generally exact registration between embossed areas and encompassing foil areas is accomplished, with such embossed areas and foil areas being optimumly aligned with the artist's design previously printed on the sheet of stock material, resulting in a pleasingly appearing and high quality greeting card.